*
At this rate, it wouldn't be surprising if someone developed trauma. Seeing some symptoms develop in Celia gave Yggdrasil that certainty. Of course it wasn't conclusive or responsible to say Celia has trauma now, she didn't have the expertise to diagnose anyone.
However, the gradual build up of frustration and fear, if it ended up fueling one's anxiety until it exploded and they could no longer cope with the environment, they might not be able to live properly anymore. That kind of potential reality lingers in the back of her mind. Regrettably, it didn't seem like she could do anything. The opponent has narrowed their location to this class, but who is to say they know their exact identities? If the magical girls moved away, the students could simply end up getting attacked without anyone to defend them this time.
So far, the attacks were indiscriminate. The artillery bombardment, the Trace ambush, the abduction, it affected every student and teacher on this floor of the building. The bombardment moreso, that was an unprecedented disaster on the news that couldn't be covered up.
This can't keep going on. It's only been a week since the school reopened. It's too much to expect normal people with no experience of Traces or fighting capability to cope. Humans might be less fragile then a many millenia ago, but they are still nothing compared to the weakest Trace.
"I'm not sure they can take anymore... We've been too passive, the class wont be able to function very soon... " (Yggdrasil)
"... But it's not like we can do anything. They know where we are, or they have some close guess of it. We don't know where they are. " (Sariel)
"... " (Arin)
We can't risk letting Arin get anymore involved. Arin is even more of a hidden existence, or as much as Yggdrasil is. The enemy knows of a C grade gun slinger magical girl and a great sword wielding magical girl, deliberately, we haven't been giving them any telling information. Unless they had the technological capability to determine our skill just by our transformations and remnant magical energy left behind, but by then they should know which of us is the real magical girl and stop their relentless attacks that target everyone.
Bait... Will they even take bait? If we use one of us as bait, would it work on an intelligent being? After all, using a living thing as bait is on the same level of using live bait in fishing, the problem was that the opponent wasn't as subdued or stupid as fish. Unlike fish, they'll see the nasty hook attached in plain sight.
Let's reorganise what we understand. We, the C grade magical girls of the land are a minor threat dealt with, by sending powerful Traces. There's no doubt they are enemies of humanity, aiming to cripple 99% of the remaining forces of magical girls before their eventual invasion. Then... Their main focus has always been the sentinels, they'll personally find and hunt them down while the normal magical girls struggle to repel the powerful C grade Traces. When they see the local magical girls struggle in battle, a sentinel will be lured out.
At this level, it isn't enough for Yggdrasil's team to struggle. They still have it relatively easy, and any spatial manipulation with specially augmented spaces can still be bypassed with {Swap}. There's no doubt about it, the zones where there are no magical girls with spatial abilities... They're going to report mass casualties. How long more could the others keep this up? The enemies weren't just having the maximum stats for Traces of this era, there were progressively getting skills that are more annoying to deal with.
We needed something, anything, to change the tide decisively. Yggdrasil turned to look at Arin, now that she observed closely Arin seemed quite attractive. Whether as a person or as bait, she didn't know. That's right, Arin was someone they didn't understand, someone they couldn't make full use of because she has some supposed link to the Traces. An unknown variable, she would be the largest most attractive bait. Who is to say, they won't send Traces after finding out?
There's no guarantee that they will personally come out, just for Arin. Arin herself might have noticed, that's why she's been looking away. Right after the attack, the students were dismissed and allowed to go home, leaving the trio behind to discuss things in the classroom. It was too conspicuous, so they moved to the library. After all, who would stay in the school, much less the classroom after all those attacks? The whole level was empty, as they walked pass the classrooms to reach the elevator.
She's sure of it now. Arin has been looking away since the start, the matter of using her as live sacrifice had been in her mind this whole time. Certainly, it would be most effective. If they believed her to be a sufficient threat, they will personally come out when they are not confident their Traces could handle Arin. That would mean being evaluated at A grade or higher. Right, that must be the limit of unintelligent Traces, C to the bottom of B grade. Any more intelligent, and they would be part of the opponent's organisation and work behind the scenes instead.
Evaluated as A grade... Being treated on par with a sentinel... One thing comes to mind. Other than Sariel, right here we have Yggdrasil. Back in the past, Yggdrasil rampaged and manifested an enormous black tree in the middle of a mini cultural zone. If she does it again, she wouldn't be putting Arin at risk, she would also be luring out both Taneda, and the Enemy. Right, it was so simple from the start. The enemy aims to eradicate, they have prepared well but they have also overestimated the depths of mystics.
There is no definite average or limit to ability, there will always be exceptions. She will be that exception. When they can no longer ignore her, is when they've revealed themselves. It sounds simple on paper, but to act as a tactical deterrent, a factor on the war map to be wary off and avoid, it's much harder to execute.
Just how much magic would she need? How much would be sacrificed? The enemy is moving in tandem, her and Arin's existence might be their greatest hidden assets, deploying now would be far too hasty. But is there time? Undoubtedly there is a second disaster that's about to be reported, how much more could humanity take before falling into anarchy? Trust in the government is already falling...
Only they have a time limit.